Applying to Private School

By Melissa Russell

“If parents want a school where kids sit in straight rows, or are all wearing uniforms, this is not the right place for them,” said Barbara Schoolman, director of Admissions for Brimmer and May, an independent k-12 school in Chestnut Hill.

Shoolman’s point, that finding the right fit between a parent’s expectations and an independent school’s culture and mission, is crucial when it comes to ensuring your child’s academic and social growth. And finding the right fit starts with asking the right questions.

Although admissions procedures can vary widely from school to school, most, according to the National Association of Independent Schools, require a complete application file before rendering a decision. The following items are typically required:

• Completed application form

• Recent academic transcript

• Past standardized testing results

• Teacher recommendations

• Results of a standardized admission test and/or a school-administered entrance exam

• Notes from a formal interview

While the idea of a formal interview, which typically takes place after a visit and tour of a school, can unnerve some parents new to the process, Linda Echt, co-director of the Atrium School in Waltham says it can be helpful to think of this one-on-one time as an opportunity for a conversation, a two-way process allowing you to find out more about a school, and helping admission officers to better understand your child.

“By the time we sit down, parents know about the school,” Echt said. “The interview is a good time to clarify things they don’t understand. For example, they might want their first grader to have homework every night, and don’t understand why we don’t do that. After our conversation, they understand why.”

When you schedule a school interview, allow yourself enough time to get a feel for the place. Bring a wish list and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Echt advises parents to be frank and honest about their concerns and their children’s challenges.

“The more honest you are, the better chance you have of putting them in the right school,” she said.

Tricia Moran, director of admissions of the Lesley Ellis School in Arlington offers this list of interview do’s and don’ts:

• Ask about the school’s approach to learning. Every child has different strengths, weaknesses, talents and needs.

• Find out if the school has an anti-bias curriculum in place. Ask if there is a process for teaching conflict resolution in the classroom.

• Find out how you can be involved in the school community.

• Learn how the school supports children’s social development.

• Ask about teacher morale; you want to find a place where teachers feel supported and participate widely in the life of the school.

• Make sure to find out about the schools values. Great schools are inclusive and welcome diversity.

• Don’t hesitate to ask all your questions. There are no questions that should be off limits.

• Don’t’ be afraid to be honest about your child and his or her needs. You want to make sure you make the best match possible for your family.

After your formal interview, be sure to ask for the names of parents you can call for personal referrals, who currently have children in the school. See as many different schools as you can, advised Shoolman. Pick your top three or four, and then bring your child on a separate visit. Write down your impressions while they are still fresh in your mind. And ask yourself, does the school feel like a community? Will your child be challenged? Can you picture your child growing in this environment?

When it comes time to make your ultimate choice, the National Association of Independent Schools advises that in the end, you must feel assured that your child will not only develop, but thrive in whichever independent community you choose. Follow your heart, discuss your decision as a family, and use the entire process to ensure that all of your priorities are met.

Timeline

Typical admissions schedule

Fall: Open houses & interviews

January: Application material due

March: Parents notified

April: Parents make first tuition payment  

Phoenix Rising: Parents Band Together and Save a School

The lights almost went out for good at the Newton Montessori School. Just two short years ago, the school suddenly closed without warning. Tuitions and deposits were lost and parents and children were left in the lurch.

Those were dark times indeed, recalls Lisa van Horne, who worked in admissions at the time of the school’s closing.

“No one knew what was going on,” she said. “Teachers and families didn’t know anything until they got a call in late spring saying the school was closing.”

But the parents were devoted to their small, independent school, which encouraged children to learn at their own pace in small groups and in a supportive atmosphere. A group of five parents banded together to spearhead a grassroots effort to save the school, or if necessary start again from scratch.

“A lot of emotional energy went into saving the school,” van Horne, now the assistant Head of School and director of Admissions, said. “It was a real leap of faith.”

The parents formed a new board of directors, developed a business plan, raised funds to pay staff, and ultimately started again, with a brand new school. They convinced van Horne to return, and in August of 2006, opened their doors to 111 students.

This September, the school welcomed 151 children through its doors, and had to add a fifth primary classroom to meet the demand.

What was the motivation behind such an extraordinary effort? Parents didn’t want their children to lose the momentum they had built up, van Horne said.

“At a Montessori school, a foundation is laid year after year, and parents didn’t want to give up on what their children had gained,” she said. “Once parents saw what their children were achieving, things they didn’t think they would do, they dug in. They were committed.”

 “It is truly a story of the phoenix rising from the ashes,” she said.